1957 Volkswagen Beetle

Description

Before you scoff at the price point, please realize that is not some run-of-the-mill, patchouli-scented, Mexican-built Bug. No, this stunning 1957 Volkswagen Beetle represents the last year of the Oval Window People's Car, making it one of the most valuable model years to own. In addition, it may be the nicest, fully-restored Beetle we've ever seen. After undergoing a full-blown, pan-off restoration completed at West Coast Classics, we're confident making grandiose statements like that. We've had the pleasure of selling hundreds of these 'der Käfers', and almost none have been as comprehensively restored and darn near perfectly executed like this one. If you want a show-quality Beetle that faithfully represents Béla Barényi's original design, here it is.
1957 is largely considered to be the final year of the 'classic' VW Beetles, and finding one that's still alive, let alone completely restored like this beauty, is quite rare. Thanks to a revolutionary marketing campaign, sales of the Beetle took off into the stratosphere in the '60s, reaching production numbers that quickly ballooned over a million at the beginning of the decade. 1957 was important for the Bug, not only representing the final year of the vaunted rear 'Oval Window', but it's also one of the final years before Madison Avenue took the 'People's Car' worldwide. In 1957, Beetles were not quite yet a household name, in fact they had little competition as there was nothing like them on the road, so in many ways this is a noteworthy model for historians. Many will have you believe that aesthetically, the Beetle didn't really change through the decades, but they'd be categorically wrong. In total, over 78,000 incremental changes during it's lifespan, and although it's true that the overall appearance wasn't altered much from 1938-on, the pre-'60s Beetles are arguably the best-looking (and definitely the most valuable) of the bunch. This Diamond Gray beauty was restored with the help of an open-checkbook, and the pros at West Coast Classics outdid themselves once again by delivering this show-quality Bug. The period-perfect finish looks fantastic on the trademark Beetle curves, it's miles deep with a wonderful luster and shine, and despite our best efforts spent crawling all over this Bug, we couldn't identify any demerits worth mentioning short of a miniscule rock chip in the hood area. As you may know, any dark color needs a laser-straight body underneath in order to look good, otherwise every little imperfection will show. And unfortunately, a lot of folks don't think VWs are worth the investment, but that's definitely not the case here. With a full-blown, pan-off restoration, it's obvious that the builders spent a lot of time and money getting the rounded bodywork as straight as possible. It fits together extremely well and the doors open and close with just a light touch. There's a single line of bright trim running the length of the bonnet and the body that dresses things up quite a bit, and the rest of the chrome and brightwork is in excellent shape overall as well. North American-spec bumper guards and tubular overrider bars look great fore and aft, the taillight housings are a work of art all by themselves, and the Abarth quad-tip mufflers that exit out back look extra sporty. In a sea of custom, lowered, chopped, shaved, and modified Beetles, this 100% stock 'Tortoise Car' stands out in a very refreshing way.

Much like the exterior, the interior was impeccably restored back-to-stock – finished in beautiful red vinyl with white rope trim on the seats that will probably outlast us all. Fresh door panels, a new set of thick carpets, and a gorgeously painted dash make it feel young again inside, and the original white steering wheel is big enough to make the manual steering feel light and direct, which is by design. The single, circular binnacle VDO gauge ahead of the driver minds the speed and mileage, and there's a vertical fuel gauge at its right flank, but precious little else is needed since vintage VWs tend to be so reliable that keeping a constant eye on them isn't necessary. Like most Beetles from the era, options are light, although you do get a Motorola Volumatic AM radio, wipers, seatbelts front and back, and a manual choke and emergency brake. Although it's been finished for a few years now, this Beetle has really only been shown and driven sparingly, so everything inside still looks, feels, and even smells like new. The back seat has likely never been sat in, while up front the trunk has been properly finished in matching black rubber and offers a full-sized spare tire and wheel assembly.

The 1200 cc flat-four (aka the 1192 CC) air-cooled 'boxer' engine lives under the deck lid, fully sorted and running great today. There's a familiar air cleaner up top, a big generator making the electricity, and a stock carburetor to make it go. OEM heater tubes and ducting are intact, so this VW is happy in cooler weather although it's still probably not well-suited for Minnesota in January. Underneath you'll find the best evidence of the pan-off restoration, with sheetmetal and components clean enough to eat off. No modifications, no questionable upgrades, just an insanely clean and solid Beetle that works just like it did when it rolled out of the factory in Wolfsburg. It does have a dual exhaust system with Abarth quad-tip outlets, which is a great addition, and it motors down the road with that traditional VW whistling exhaust note that's so beloved. Factory 15-inch wheels with chrome hubcaps are the perfect end caps, wrapped in 5.60-15 bias-ply whitewalls that look new.

Rarely have we seen a Beetle this 'over-restored' and well-cared for. If you want the best, you just found it. Call today!